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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

Secure Computer Remote Terminal (CRT)

General Information

Technologies must be operated and maintained in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. More information on the proper use of the TRM can be found on the TRM Proper Use Tab/Section.

Website:	Go to site
Description:	SecureCRT is a Graphical User Interface (GUI)-based terminal emulator with support for Secure Shell (SSH1 and SSH2), Telnet, and RLogin protocols. SecureCRT supports secure file transfers via Xmodem, Zmodem, and Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP). This entry covers the Desktop Edition of this technology and not any mobile versions. See Category tab/Comparable for the corresponding Mobile entry. Note: The implementation of mobile technology applications that operate on Mobile Operating Systems must be reviewed and approved by the Mobile Technology and Endpoint Security Engineering Team https://dvagov.sharepoint.com/sites/OITMT/SitePages/MTHome.aspx
Technology/Standard Usage Requirements:	Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.
Section 508 Information:	This technology has been assessed by the Section 508 Office and found non-conformant. The Implementer of this technology has the responsibility to ensure the version deployed is 508-compliant. Section 508 compliance may be reviewed by the Section 508 Office and appropriate remedial action required if necessary. For additional information or assistance regarding Section 508, please contact the Section 508 Office at Section508@va.gov. Please see reference tab for more information concerning product versions.
Decision:	View Decisions

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v24.3
Decision Date:	03/25/2024 at 16:46:19 UTC
Aliases:	SecureCRT; Secure CRT
Introduced By:	SCCM
Vendor Name:	VanDyke Software

Vendor Release Information

The Vendor Release table provides the known releases for the TRM Technology, obtained from the vendor (or from the release source).

Version	Release Date	Vendor End of Life Date	Vendor Desupport Date
6.7	10/01/2009
7.0	10/01/2010
7.1.x	05/02/2013
7.2.x	12/12/2013
7.3.x	10/23/2014
8.0.x	03/31/2016
8.1.x	01/26/2017
8.3.x	05/08/2018
8.5.x	08/28/2018
8.7.x	02/11/2020
8.7.2+
9.0.x	02/18/2021
9.1.x	09/02/2021
9.2.x	05/12/2022
9.3.x	11/03/2022
9.4.x	07/18/2023
9.5.x	01/16/2024

Current Decision Matrix (03/20/2024)

Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.

The VA Decision Matrix displays the current and future VA IT position regarding different releases of a TRM entry. These decisions are based upon the best information available as of the most current date. The consumer of this information has the responsibility to consult the organizations responsible for the desktop, testing, and/or production environments to ensure that the target version of the technology will be supported. Any major.minor version that is not listed in the VA Decision Matrix is considered unapproved for use.

Legend:

White	Approved: The technology/standard has been approved for use.
Yellow	Approved w/Constraints: The technology/standard can be used within the specified constraints located below the decision matrix in the footnote[1] and on the General tab.
Gray	Unapproved: This technology or standard can be used only if a POA&M review is conducted and signed by the Authorizing Official Designated Representative (AODR) as designated by the Authorizing Official (AO) or designee and based upon a recommendation from the POA&M Compliance Enforcement, has been granted to the project team or organization that wishes to use the technology.
Orange	Divest: VA has decided to divest itself on the use of the technology/standard. As a result, all projects currently utilizing the technology/standard must plan to eliminate their use of the technology/standard. Additional information on when the entry is projected to become unapproved may be found on the Decision tab for the specific entry.
Black	Prohibited: The technology/standard is not (currently) permitted to be used under any circumstances.
Blue	Planning/Evaluation Constraint:The period of time this technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population. If a customer would like to use this technology, please work with your local or Regional OI&T office and contact the appropriate evaluation office displayed in the notes below the decision matrix. The Local or Regional OI&T office should submit an inquiry to the TRM if they require further assistance or if the evaluating office is not listed in the notes below.

Release/Version Information:

VA decisions for specific versions may include a ‘.x’ wildcard, which denotes a decision that pertains to a range of multiple versions.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 7.x would cover any version of 7.(Anything) - 7.(Anything). However, a 7.4.x decision would cover any version of 7.4.(Anything), but would not cover any version of 7.5.x or 7.6.x on the TRM.

VA decisions for specific versions may include ‘+’ symbols; which denotes that the decision for the version specified also includes versions greater than what is specified but is not to exceed or affect previous decimal places.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 12.6.4+ would cover any version that is greater than 12.6.4, but would not exceed the .6 decimal ie: 12.6.401 is ok, 12.6.5 is ok, 12.6.9 is ok, however 12.7.0 or 13.0 is not.

<Past

CY2019

CY2020

CY2021

Future>

Release

6.7

Unapproved

7.0

Unapproved

7.1.x

Unapproved

Prohibited

7.2.x

Unapproved

Prohibited

7.3.x

Unapproved

Prohibited

8.0.x

Unapproved

Prohibited

8.1.x

Unapproved

Prohibited

8.3.x

Divest
[11, 12, 13, 15]

Unapproved

Prohibited

8.5.x

Approved w/Constraints
[11, 12, 13, 15]

Approved w/Constraints
[11, 12, 13, 16, 17]

Divest
[11, 12, 13, 17, 18]

Unapproved

Prohibited

8.7.x

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[11, 12, 13, 17, 18]

Approved w/Constraints
[11, 12, 13, 17, 19]

Approved w/Constraints
[11, 17, 19, 20, 21]

Prohibited

8.7.2+

Unapproved

Divest
[11, 17, 20, 21, 22]

Divest
[11, 17, 20, 21, 23]

9.0.x

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[1, 11, 12, 13, 17, 19]

Approved w/Constraints
[1, 11, 17, 19, 20, 21]

Approved w/Constraints
[11, 17, 20, 21, 22]

Divest
[11, 17, 20, 21, 23]

9.1.x

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[11, 17, 20, 21, 23]

9.2.x

Unapproved

9.3.x

Unapproved

9.4.x

Unapproved

9.5.x

Unapproved

Decision Constraints


[1]	This Technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population.

[2]	Several high NIST vulnerabilities have been identified for older versions. Only versions 6.7 and above are permitted for use. If PII/PHI/VA sensitive information is involved, FIPS 140-2 certified encryption must be used to encrypt data in transit and at rest per VA Handbook 6500 (Appendix F). If downloaded, this software should be obtained directly from the offering vendor`s site, not from public freeware repositories, to avoid possible addition of adware or malware. Freeware sites offer a trial version of this software for download which should be avoided.

[3]	`

[4]	The product must only be operated in FIPS mode and remain patched in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines.

[5]	As of April 23, 2015, per the Deputy CIO of Architecture, Strategy and Design (ASD), all technologies in use by the VA require an assessment by the VA Section 508 office. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 is a federal law that sets the guidelines for technology accessibility. A VA Section 508 assessment of this technology has not been completed at the time of publication. Therefore, as of April 23, 2015 only users of this technology who have deployed the technology to the production environment, or have project design and implementation plans approved, may continue to operate this technology. In the case of a project that has implemented, or been approved for a specific site or number of users, and that project needs to expand operations to other sites or to an increased user base, it may do so as long as the project stays on the existing version of the technology that was approved or implemented as of April 22, 2015. Use of this technology in all other cases is prohibited.

[6]	The product must only be operated in FIPS mode.

[7]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[8]	Technology must remain patched and operated in accordance with Federal and Department security policies and guidelines in order to mitigate known and future security vulnerabilities.

[9]	In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004 , VA Directive 6517, and VA Directive 6513. The local ISO can advise on the ESCCB review process.

[10]	The product must only be operated in Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) mode. If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period.

[11]	Users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Office (ISO) or local OIT representative for permission to download and use this software. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Freeware may only be downloaded directly from the primary site that the creator of the software has advertised for public download and user or development community engagement. Users should note, any attempt by the installation process to install any additional, unrelated software is not approved and the user should take the proper steps to decline those installations.

[12]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[13]	In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004 , VA Directive 6517, and VA Directive 6513. The local ISO can advise on the ESCCB review process.

[14]	This product may only be used when Microfocus Reflection does not meet the requirements of the project. If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. The product must only be operated in Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) mode. Users must consider alternative options rather than using this product because it is not a part of the VA baseline. Users must disable Telnet services when using this product. Please see the Telnet TRM entry for more details.

[15]	This product may only be used when Microfocus Reflection does not meet the requirements of the project. If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. The product must only be operated in Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) mode. Users must consider alternative options rather than using this product because it is not a part of the VA baseline. Users must disable Telnet services when using this product. Please see the Telnet TRM entry for more details.

[16]	If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Users must not leverage TELNET functionality. Because SecureCRT is not part of the official VA baseline of tools and does not have a VA security configuration guide, SecureCRT is only allowed to be used when other VA approved enterprise solutions will not meet requirements. Users should consider contacting the BCM Team (VA mail: VA IT BCM Intake) to create a VA security configuration guide so this can be approved for full use in VA.

[17]	Due to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identified security vulnerabilities, extra vigilance should be applied to ensure the versions remain properly patched to mitigate known and future vulnerabilities. The local ISO can provide assistance in reviewing the NIST vulnerabilities.

[18]	If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Security Engineering (SE) conducted a pre-assessment and security requirements verification of VanDyke SecureCRT. It is advised that if this product is used within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that the following constraints be applied: VanDyke has published information on using Microsoft Group Policy Objects (GPO’s) ADM/ADMX controls to disallow Automate Login located in the “Help Topics” section of the software. SecureCRT can use a password stored in a program specific .ini file and creates an entry for each session initiated. Usernames are listed in clear text and passwords are encrypted. Login credentials for target systems are reliant on Microsoft Active Directory login schema or target system local credentials. Password complexity is based upon domain Group Policy Object (GPO) settings of the target system. VanDyke provides an .adm template (Administrative Template) file that can be used with Microsoft Management Console (MMC) to configure FIPS mode in Windows client applications. Per VAIQ 7615193, effective January 1, 2016 use of Telnet is no longer allowed within VA. All information system baselines will disable Telnet services. The TRM entry for Telnet has been updated to unapproved as of August 31, 2016, and it has been advised that the technology/standard has not been approved for use. It may only be used if a waiver signed by the Deputy CIO of ASD or designee based upon a recommendation from the STAT has been granted to a project. The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) features of this software must not be used as the FTP protocol is prohibited for use on the VA network. (For further information see: VA Policy Memo VAIQ 7615193 on Prohibited Use of File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and Telnet Services)

[19]	If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Per the Initial Product Review, users must abide by the following constraints: VanDyke has published information on using Microsoft Group Policy Objects (GPO’s) ADM/ADMX controls to disallow Automate Login located in the “Help Topics” section of the software. SecureCRT can use a password stored in a program specific .ini file and creates an entry for each session initiated. Usernames are listed in clear text and passwords are encrypted. Login credentials for target systems are reliant on Microsoft Active Directory login schema or target system local credentials. Password complexity is based upon domain Group Policy Object (GPO) settings of the target system. VanDyke provides an .adm template (Administrative Template) file that can be used with Microsoft Management Console (MMC) to configure FIPS mode in Windows client applications. Per VAIQ 7615193, effective January 1, 2016 use of Telnet is no longer allowed within VA. All information system baselines will disable Telnet services. The TRM entry for Telnet has been updated to unapproved as of August 31, 2016, and it has been advised that the technology/standard has not been approved for use. It may only be used if a waiver signed by the Deputy CIO of ASD or designee based upon a recommendation from the STAT has been granted to a project. The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) features of this software must not be used as the FTP protocol is prohibited for use on the VA network. (For further information see: VA Policy Memo VAIQ 7615193 on Prohibited Use of File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and Telnet Services)

[20]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[21]	In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004 , VA Directive 6517, and VA Directive 6513. The local ISO can advise on the ESCCB review process.

[22]	If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Per the Security Assessment Review, users must abide by the following constraints: VanDyke has published information on using Microsoft Group Policy Objects (GPO’s) ADM/ADMX controls to disallow Automate Login located in the “Help Topics” section of the software. SecureCRT can use a password stored in a program specific .ini file and creates an entry for each session initiated. Usernames are listed in clear text and passwords are encrypted. Login credentials for target systems are reliant on Microsoft Active Directory login schema or target system local credentials. Password complexity is based upon domain Group Policy Object (GPO) settings of the target system. VanDyke provides an .adm template (Administrative Template) file that can be used with Microsoft Management Console (MMC) to configure FIPS mode in Windows client applications. Per VAIQ 7615193, effective January 1, 2016 use of Telnet is no longer allowed within VA. All information system baselines will disable Telnet services. The TRM entry for Telnet has been updated to unapproved as of August 31, 2016, and it has been advised that the technology/standard has not been approved for use. It may only be used if a waiver signed by the Deputy CIO of ASD or designee based upon a recommendation from the STAT has been granted to a project. The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) features of this software must not be used as the FTP protocol is prohibited for use on the VA network. (For further information see: VA Policy Memo VAIQ 7615193 on Prohibited Use of File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and Telnet Services)

[23]	If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. This technology must not utilize Ubuntu Server or Desktop resources. Per the Security Assessment Review, users must abide by the following constraints: VanDyke has published information on using Microsoft Group Policy Objects (GPO’s) ADM/ADMX controls to disallow Automate Login located in the “Help Topics” section of the software. SecureCRT can use a password stored in a program specific .ini file and creates an entry for each session initiated. Usernames are listed in clear text and passwords are encrypted. Login credentials for target systems are reliant on Microsoft Active Directory login schema or target system local credentials. Password complexity is based upon domain Group Policy Object (GPO) settings of the target system. VanDyke provides an .adm template (Administrative Template) file that can be used with Microsoft Management Console (MMC) to configure FIPS mode in Windows client applications. Per VAIQ 7615193, effective January 1, 2016 use of Telnet is no longer allowed within VA. All information system baselines will disable Telnet services. The TRM entry for Telnet has been updated to unapproved as of August 31, 2016, and it has been advised that the technology/standard has not been approved for use. It may only be used if a waiver signed by the Deputy CIO of ASD or designee based upon a recommendation from the STAT has been granted to a project. The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) features of this software must not be used as the FTP protocol is prohibited for use on the VA network. (For further information see: VA Policy Memo VAIQ 7615193 on Prohibited Use of File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and Telnet Services)

Note:

At the time of writing, version 9.5.1 is the most current version, released 02/27/2024.

A standard configuration of this technology was developed by the DDE team. At the time of writing, the standard versions is 9.4.0. Version 9.5.0 is under testing and development for six weeks from 03/08/2024.

The following reference(s) are associated with this entry:
Type	Name	Source	Description
*NOTE: Vendor provided information is subject to the accuracy of the manufacturer.

Note: This list may not be complete. No component, listed or unlisted, may be used outside of the technology in which it is released. The usage decision for a component is found in the Decision and Decision Constraints.
Name	Description
No components have been identified for this entry.


Systems Management Systems Management Tools	System Change and Configuration Management
Platforms and Storage Operating Systems	OS Tools

- The information contained on this page is accurate as of the Decision Date (03/25/2024 at 16:46:19 UTC).

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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (03/20/2024)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

Architectural Risks

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